OK, so here we are, the most important game of the 2017 season to date. Some, not all of the starters will be playing not only the entire 1st half of this game, but some will play into the 3rd quarter as well. Game 3 of the preseason is the so called Dress Rehearsal, and this will give the coaches a much better idea how the starters look, and where the team is at.

This game will not include heavy duty strategizing, at least not as far as the game plan is concerned. Neither team is going to show their true personalities, and will follow a basic vanilla gameplan. It’s all about execution. Who’s doing things right, who isn’t, and most likely, guys that aren’t doing it right will be executed. Well, not really, but they might be cut with a poor showing.

QB Jay Cutler had an excellent practice yesterday with the Eagles, and hopefully, set the tone for tomorrow’s game. It would be nice to see Cutler excel tomorrow, I think that could really boost not only his confidence, but also his teammates. For Cutler to look good, he’s going to need help from that shaky O-line. I believe OG/C Kraig Urbik is injured and out for tomorrow’s game, so that means OT/OG Jesse Davis will probably play LG, and Jake Brendel will probably play C, with Jermon Bushrod playing RG, and of course, the bookends will be LT Laremy Tunsil and RT Ja’Wuan James. We need this unit to look solid, to protect Cutler, and to give the RB’s running lanes.

On the defensive side, it’s a whole different story. We so desperately need for everyone to stay healthy. Newly acquired MLB Rey Maualuga will not be playing, but the Dolphins would really like to see some guys step up. The CB battle should be fierce, even with the season ending injury to CB Tony Lippett, we still have good talent there. Maxwell, Howard, Verner, Tankersley, McCain, Pitts, Aikens and Thomas give the Dolphins pretty good depth.

At LB, will Mike Hull be able to make the right calls, and even more importantly, not get washed out and make tackles? I’m not worried about Timmons and Alonso, but it would be nice for Hull to be stout against the run, even though we now have Maulauga. I’d also love to Godchaux continue to impress, and push Jordan Phillips back into the rotation. Phillips looks hungry all the time, but is he hungry to keep his starting spot? We’ll see tomorrow. I like what we have on the D-line, with our additions of DE William Hayes, and of course Charles Harris. I think Harris will just keep getting better and better as the year goes on, as they limit his snaps early on, and then slowly increase his workload. He’s mostly going to be a pass rush specialist this season, and with the current depth, that’s perfect.

I want to see the run game clicking, I want see Cutler upright and throwing accurate passes for scores, and I want to see this defense look tough. Our defense last year was kind, I want to see some mean. Don’t give opposing RB’s second chances, and sometimes 3rd chances, make the tackle! I want God-show to be all up in the backfield of the Eagles, disrupting everything. I want Hull stopping RB’s dead! I want Howard, Maxwell and All-Terrain shutting things down. Hey, it’s only preseason, but like a crystal ball, it’ll show you some things to come. I think we’ll have a better idea of what our team really is, and I hope for all of our sakes, it’s not like the oddsmakers say, that we’re a 7 win team.

Maxwell had some low points early last season and then came on strong
I expect some low points again but that is part of the position he plays
I don’t think we need CBs, but maybe after he Lippett injury some vet depth would help
Haden would really have to take nothing and really want to play in Miami

He won’t cost that much to whoever picks him up. I don’t think it will be us, because I think Maxwell will straighten himself out, just like he did last season. He was very good for us once he got on track.

We don’t have much cap room. As enticing as Haden may be, the last thing we need to do is pick up a veteran CB whose play has declined the past two years, in the hopes that he can regain his pro bowl form.

Howard has good upside but he is young and largely unproven. Lippett is done for the year. Maxwell is grossly inconsistent. The rest of our guys and unproven. To me Haden is an instant upgrade for a unit that has struggled mightily

If we do end up signing Haden, that’s pretty much it in terms of our cap space. We won’t be able to sign Alan Faneca — for example — unless we make an emergency cut or dip into the Bank of Suh (restructure) again.